The showroom at the MCC Furniture Thrift Store on Keewatin Street offers plenty of unique decor options.
Have you ever noticed on decorating shows that when the designers go shopping for unique decor pieces they usually hit a salvage shop, antique shop or upcycling design centre? To find truly one-of-a-kind items that speak to you is a difficult proposition in this day of mass production but there are awesome hideaways where you might just find that unique piece you’re looking for.
Laurie Goetz, Manager of the MCC Furniture Thrift Store on Keewatin Street emailed me recently and sent me photos of some of the upcycled items they carry. "One of the many fun and creative things I have enjoyed about this position is the opportunity to turn ‘trash’ into ‘treasure.’ I have enclosed a few pictures to give you an idea of some simple, but wonderful transformations that have been made by many of our creative volunteers from all ages and backgrounds. Some of these wonderful people are working through government-assisted programs that empower people to get back on their feet, some are retired and love a place to create, and some are high school students who are learning the value of volunteering, helping others and developing new life skills. All of them are important in the work that we do. One hundred per cent of net proceeds goes to MCC," said Goetz.
As you can see from the photos here, these are very creative people who are giving old stuff new life. This is a great opportunity for the consumer to purchase really unique pieces at affordable prices. Some other creative items they carry include pet beds made from inverted end tables (seriously cute), reimagined hutches and china cabinets, purses made from vinyl LP records as well as clocks made from LPs. It’s definitely worth the trip.
Other places that I love to haunt aside from thrift stores are shops like AAA Consignment in Osborne Village. For instance, I had been searching for months for a unique mirror for our upcoming bathroom renovation, but was only finding very generic mirrors with boring frames online. The prices for these new mirrors ran anywhere from $30 to more than $100. There were some on Kijiji (another great place for unique finds) for a decent price, but I still didn’t find the "one" that spoke to me. I dropped in to AAA Consignment and within the first minute found the perfect mirror for $7. You couldn’t buy just the glass mirror for that price in a retail store. What a steal and a great find because it has a really unusual frame and is the perfect size for my project. (I’ll be writing about the bathroom renovation once it’s complete. Stay tuned.)
You have to visit these types of stores often because you just never know what you may come across. You need to keep an open mind as well to visualize items for uses other than the intended. If you’re creative, you might be able to transform a dated piece yourself, but if that’s not for you, there are places like MCC that carry these one-of-a-kind items already completed.
I have found everything from our dining room table and chairs to clocks to lamps at second-hand and used-furniture stores. Here are some ideas on how to upcycle thrift-store finds:
A vintage teacup and saucer set can make a wonderful bird feeder in the garden this spring. Hot glue the saucer to a wide stake securely set in the ground and fill the teacup with water or birdseed, then watch the birds come. (I used half of a tension shower curtain rod but you could use wide wooden dowels.) The teacup is removable for easy cleaning. Do more than one to create a whimsical flower garden.
Decorative wooden picture frames can be used to revamp a plain bathroom mirror or to reframe a cheesy or dated photo frame. Empty frames painted in bright colours can be hung as a grouping on a focal wall. You can use a bunch of hand mirrors to create a similar look.
Keep your eyes open for great wall art. We recently found a print by a well-known artist for a steal. It fits our decor beautifully.
Unique lamp bases, even if the shade is sketchy, are worth a second look. You can transform a unique lamp with a new shade or a shade that has been reinvented with fabric and beading. (I’m thinking of my half globe lampshade I made that I absolutely love. The unique metal base was found at a thrift store then the lampshade was fashioned with a half of a world globe. It’s my favourite decor item to date.)
If you’re on a tight budget but need to fill wall space, consider groupings of decorative plates, vintage handbags and hats, large textiles or even wallpaper, all of which can be found at any given time at thrift stores. Create an entire wall of family photos by purchasing a bunch of inexpensive photo frames and creating a dramatic display.
Spruce up your bookshelf, first by colour-sorting your books then add in unique items like a vintage camera, old binoculars, a small globe and so on.
I could go on and on, but you’ll just have to make a trip to your local thrift or salvage store and find your own design way. Shoot me an email if you need help or have an idea to share.
Connieoliver2016@gmail.com
